Membrane News and Research

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Study shows over-expression of adhesion molecules in fat tissues protects mice from obesity, diabetes

Okayama University researchers report that the overexpression of an adhesion molecule found on the surface of fat cells appears to protect mice from developing obesity and diabetes. The findings, published in the journal Diabetes, March 2016, may fuel the development of new therapies targeting these diseases.

9 May 2016

Scientists develop new technology that helps visualize translation of mRNA into proteins

For the first time, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed a technology allowing them to "see" single molecules of messenger RNA as they are translated into proteins in living mammalian cells. Initial findings using this technology that may shed light on neurological diseases as well as cancer were published online today in Science.

9 May 2016

Controlling heart cells using a laser: an interview with Prof. Konstantin Agladze

We control their electrical activity. Cardiac cells are capable of producing and transmitting electric signals through changes in a cell membrane potential.

9 May 2016

High-level quantum chemical computations help unravel underlying mechanism of hepatocellular toxicity

Balasubramanian and Basak have recently reported quantum chemical computations that enhance our understanding of mechanisms for the causes of liver toxicity. Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common forms of cancer, and the primary cause has been attributed to liver fibrosis by chemical toxins, which is followed by liver cirrhosis.

9 May 2016

Unlocking cellular trap door may help in finding cures for many diseases

A team of researchers who two years ago announced a "Trojan horse" method of entering a cell without harming it have now found, in effect, the lock to the cellular "trap door."

6 May 2016

Duke scientists develop human-derived antibody that preferentially attacks cancer cells

A research team from Duke Health has developed an antibody from the body's own immune system that preferentially attacks cancer cells.

6 May 2016

Michigan researchers use 'kidney on a chip' device to measure effect of drug doses on kidney cells

University of Michigan researchers have used a "kidney on a chip" device to mimic the flow of medication through human kidneys and measure its effect on kidney cells.

5 May 2016

Researchers discover critical new mechanism for genesis of heart failure

A weak heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood around the body. In Germany, this condition is now the commonest reason for patients to be admitted to hospital.

4 May 2016

New study links cathepsin S protein to tear secretion in Sjogren's syndrome patients

The autoimmune disorder Sjogren's syndrome is often overlooked or misdiagnosed because the symptoms are similar to other conditions. Its characteristic symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, and reduced tear production is used as part of the diagnosis.

4 May 2016

Study shows syringe-like device acts as traffic cop directing bacteria to carry out infection

A study has found that a syringe-like device used to invade intestinal cells also acts as a traffic cop -- directing bacteria where to go and thereby enabling them to efficiently carry out infection.

4 May 2016

Study shows cannabinoid type 2 receptor plays vital role in signal processing of the brain

The cannabinoid type 2 receptor - also called "CB2 receptor" - is a special membrane protein. Its function is to receive chemical signals that control cellular activity. "Until now, this receptor was considered part of the immune system without function in nerve cells.

3 May 2016

Snapshots of NMDA receptor activation may help in novel drug design

Structural biologists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Janelia Research Campus/HHMI, have obtained snapshots of the activation of an important type of brain-cell receptor. Dysfunction of the receptor has been implicated in a range of neurological illnesses, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, seizure, schizophrenia, autism, and injuries related to stroke.

3 May 2016

Gut bacteria linked to risk of bloodstream infections after chemotherapy

A new study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota and Nantes University Hospital in France shows that the bacteria in people's gut may predict their risk of life-threatening blood infections following high-dose chemotherapy.

29 Apr 2016

Cells have ability to perceive their own shapes, new study shows

Can a cell sense its own shape? Working in the Marine Biological Laboratory's Whitman Center, scientists from Dartmouth College developed an ingenious experiment to ask this question. Their conclusion - Yes - is detailed in a recent paper in the Journal of Cell Biology.

29 Apr 2016

Group of gamma-protocadherins linked with neurons help regulate growth of dendrites

When you think of a neuron, imagine a tree. A healthy brain cell indeed looks like a tree with a full canopy. There's a trunk, which is the cell's nucleus; there's a root system, embodied in a single axon; and there are the branches, called dendrites.

28 Apr 2016

Vegetable-based polyphenol enhances wound healing

A research group led by Osaka University found a plant-based polyphenol, promotes the migration of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) in blood circulation and accumulates them in damaged tissues to improve wound healing. It is anticipated that the results will be used for stem cell treatments for cutaneous disorders associated with various damage and lesions.

21 Apr 2016

Non-invasive optogenetic therapy can help treat chronic pain

The potential of light as a non-invasive, highly-focused alternative to pain medication was made more apparent thanks to research conducted by scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre.

21 Apr 2016

Researchers focus on novel target to treat bacterial infection

Bacterial infection takes hold in the body when a pathogenic microorganism delivers toxins to healthy cells. One way bacteria accomplish this is by releasing vesicles, which act as tiny envelopes transporting toxins and other virulence factors to host cells. These toxins allow the bacteria to "make themselves at home" in cells.

19 Apr 2016

Reducing hair loss during chemotherapy: an interview with Richard Paxman

The basic principle of chemotherapy is to damage the mitotic and metabolic processes in the cancer cells. The chemotherapy doesn't just target the cancer cells, it also targets the healthy cells, specifically ones that are rapidly dividing - our hair follicles are also rapidly dividing. We see damage to those hair cells, which then causes the hair to fall out.

From Paxman 19 Apr 2016

Researchers reveal how relatively unknown pathogen led to current Zika outbreak

An analysis comparing the individual differences between over 40 strains of Zika virus (30 isolated from humans, 10 from mosquitoes, and 1 from monkeys) has identified significant changes in both amino acid and nucleotide sequences during the past half-century.

18 Apr 2016

Membrane News and Research

Study shows over-expression of adhesion molecules in fat tissues protects mice from obesity, diabetes

Scientists develop new technology that helps visualize translation of mRNA into proteins

Controlling heart cells using a laser: an interview with Prof. Konstantin Agladze

High-level quantum chemical computations help unravel underlying mechanism of hepatocellular toxicity

Unlocking cellular trap door may help in finding cures for many diseases

Duke scientists develop human-derived antibody that preferentially attacks cancer cells

Michigan researchers use 'kidney on a chip' device to measure effect of drug doses on kidney cells

Researchers discover critical new mechanism for genesis of heart failure

New study links cathepsin S protein to tear secretion in Sjogren's syndrome patients

Study shows syringe-like device acts as traffic cop directing bacteria to carry out infection

Study shows cannabinoid type 2 receptor plays vital role in signal processing of the brain

Snapshots of NMDA receptor activation may help in novel drug design

Gut bacteria linked to risk of bloodstream infections after chemotherapy

Cells have ability to perceive their own shapes, new study shows

Group of gamma-protocadherins linked with neurons help regulate growth of dendrites

Vegetable-based polyphenol enhances wound healing

Non-invasive optogenetic therapy can help treat chronic pain

Researchers focus on novel target to treat bacterial infection

Reducing hair loss during chemotherapy: an interview with Richard Paxman

Researchers reveal how relatively unknown pathogen led to current Zika outbreak

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